The rain shadow caused by the massive bulk of the Himalayan mountains creates arid conditions for a huge distance to the east. The 1,600km (1,000 mile) long arc of the Gobi Desert spans the border between China and Mongolia; it is the world’s fifth-largest desert and the largest in Asia. Covering an area of 1.3 million square kilometres (half a million square miles), the Gobi includes a wide range of ecoregions and surface conditions – from immense sand dunes to rugged mountains. Wherever you look on Google maps, zooming in reveals beautiful landscapes which often resemble abstract art.…